Polk State Theatre will end its season of comedies with a fan favorite, presenting “Footloose: The Musical” beginning April 16.

“It’s a musical. It’s funsy fun. If you come into the show with any blues, we’re going to dance them away,” said Polk State Theatre Department Coordinator Paul Carbonell.

Based on the 1984 movie starring Kevin Bacon, “Footloose: The Musical” follows Ren, who has just moved from Chicago to a small town, where a local preacher has outlawed dancing. With the senior prom approaching, Ren leads the fight against the dancing ban, falling in love with the preacher’s daughter along the way.

For its timeless teenage-rebellion storyline and hit soundtrack, “Footloose” is a mainstay of pop culture — and Polk State Theatre is pulling out all the stops to do it justice.

“This will be our most ambitious technical extravaganza,” Carbonell said.

Director Mark Hartfield explained that a projector and the theatre’s fly system —ropes and pulleys above the stage — will be used recreate some of the most recognizable scenes from the movie.

“We have this gigantic stage space, which allows us to do some interesting things,” he said.

“One of the challenges of putting on a fairly well known story is that the audience has a certain expectation of what they’re supposed to be seeing. We want them to know where they are, but we also have to change scenes quickly. In a movie, they can just cut to a new scene, but on stage, you have to move the scenery. By using the projection and fly systems, we can make the transitions smooth and still give the audience that sense of place.”

“Footloose: The Musical” takes the stage at the Polk State Winter Haven Fine Arts Theatre April 16-19 and 23, 24, 26. All shows are at 7:30 p.m., except for Sunday matinees at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are free for students and employees with Polk State ID, and high school students with ID. Tickets for the general public are $8.

Tickets may be purchased at the box office beginning one hour prior to the show. The Polk State Winter Haven Fine Arts Theatre is located at 999 Ave. H N.E.